Chapter 147: The Girl's Resolve
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: The Girl's Resolve
"It’s been a long time since I’ve been back."
The Lower District.
In a certain secret chamber.
Anna looked at the dust-covered instruments in the dim room and let out a soft sigh.
"I hope they still work."
With a wave of her hand, a faint surge of mana rippled through the air.
A breeze blew in from outside the door, swirling the thick dust and venting it outside through the newly restarted exhaust fans.
Soon, the instruments that had sat idle for so long were once again spotless.
Without wasting time on sentimentality, Anna immediately set to work.
She produced various strange materials, including that peculiar black branch she had purchased while window-shopping with Muen earlier that day.
She powered up the precision instruments and began to operate them with practiced ease.
Decomposition, smelting, extraction, compounding.
As if she had performed the process countless times, every one of Anna’s movements was devoid of waste. In short order, a brand-new potion appeared in her hand.
Finally, she took out a tiny container no larger than a knuckle and dripped the crystalline liquid inside into the potion.
Ripples spread across the surface of the concoction as the ice-blue liquid swayed slowly within the transparent vial.
Anna stared at the potion, as if trying to confirm something.
"There’s still no reaction like a potion should have. It’s more like I just added something completely unrelated to it."
Anna sighed softly, though she didn't seem overly disappointed.
She had expected this result; or rather, she had already experienced it many times before.
In truth, this potion, created through such a complex process, wasn't the important part. It was merely a medium intended to maximize a specific effect.
The truly important thing was that drop of crystalline liquid.
"But I have to try, don't I?"
Clinging to that sliver of hope, Anna downed the potion in one gulp.
Then, she rolled up her sleeve and quietly watched the black scales that had, at some unknown point, begun to grow on her arm once more.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Half an hour.
Two hours.
Anna sat as still as a statue, silent, waiting for the dawn.
But when the midnight bell tolled, all Anna saw was the deepening darkness of the night.
"As I thought... it’s still no use?"
Her fingertips brushed against the cold scales. A smile that bordered on self-mockery played across Anna’s lips.
"What was I even hoping for? I’ve known for a long time—this thing called 'true love' is just a lie told to deceive naive children."
"I should put my hopes in tangible things instead."
She casually tossed the container, which still held a trace of the crystalline liquid, into the trash, as if severing all her lingering thoughts.
She turned and left, eventually arriving at an extremely old-looking shop.
The shop sold all sorts of bizarre items. In the most prominent position sat lifelike clay sculptures of beautiful girls, life-sized mannequins of mature women, and copies of Saintess Photo Book 3.0.
There were no other customers in the shop. Behind the counter, an old man slept in a rocking chair.
The man was very old. In the sliver of starlight filtering through the window, the age spots on his skin were faintly visible.
Like the shop itself, he was permeated with the scent of decay.
Anna glanced at the old man, pulled out a thick stack of bills, and placed them on the counter. After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"The usual. Please deliver this money to the orphanage for me."
There was no answer.
The old man seemed to be fast asleep.
Anna said nothing more, set the money down, and prepared to leave.
"Didn't you go to see them in secret yesterday? Why not give it to them yourself?" As she was about to step out the door, a raspy voice suddenly rang out.
Anna paused, but did not look back.
"It’s better if someone like me doesn't get any more involved with them."
"Is that so?"
The old man opened his clouded eyes and stared at the figure that looked exceptionally lonely in the moonlight.
He felt a pang of pity.
"Anna, if you insist on closing off your heart, you will never find redemption."
"Redemption?"
Anna gave a self-deprecating laugh and stepped back out into the deep night.
"Who would ever bring redemption to a monster?"
*
Noon.
Muen was startled awake by the piercing sunlight streaming through a gap in the curtains.
"Is it already this late?"
Muen instinctively glanced at the clock, and his heavy drowsiness vanished instantly.
In truth, after the "fierce battle" of the previous night, he hadn't managed to fall asleep until morning. He had only been out for a few hours.
To say he was well-rested would be a lie; the exhaustion from last night far exceeded that of fighting a hundred rounds against an enemy.
However, he had things to do today. A real man couldn't stay drowned in the "gentle country" forever.
Muen shifted his body slightly and found that the entire left side of his body felt a peculiar numbness. Looking down, he saw An clinging to him like an octopus, even in her deep sleep.
"So clingy."
Muen gave a helpless, wry smile and gently pried away An’s sprawled, jade-like limbs.
As he moved, the exquisite sensation of her skin against his, combined with the endless "spring scenery" peeking out from under the covers, almost made Muen "rise" to the occasion again.
Fortunately, Muen quickly recited the Calming Incantation a few times, successfully suppressing the fire of desire.
No joke—if they went for another round now, he really wouldn't be able to get out of bed for three days and nights.
Luckily, An was sleeping exceptionally soundly. It seemed that even for a "little succubus" like her, last night had been truly exhausting.
After all, in terms of physical strength, the current An still couldn't compare to Muen, who had been training for over two months and had been tempered in the Mercury Well.
"Becoming stronger is truly an urgent matter. Otherwise, before the Evil Gods kill me, I’ll be drained dry by this little vixen."
Muen sighed and scrambled out of bed to get dressed.
Now that An’s yandere tendencies were cured, he didn't have many misgivings. He could return to the Duke’s Estate whenever he wanted, so why linger in this temporary warmth?
Thinking this, Muen couldn't help but take a closer look at An’s face, which lost none of its elegance even in sleep.
When that pathological desire faded, this face was so pure and beautiful—it was truly moving.
"Be a good girl. I’ll come back to see you often."
Muen stroked An’s cheek with a tender smile, then tiptoed out of the room.
*
An suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the door that had just closed.
"Young Master."
A happy smile hung on her lips as she touched her own cheek, as if savoring Muen’s lingering scent. She was so reluctant to let go.
But beautiful reminiscence is always brief. She also had things she needed to face.
She stood up and walked to the mirror.
In the reflection, her delicate body still bore the "traces of clouds and rain"—marks that made her feel a deep, internal sense of satisfaction.
But then, her expression turned cold.
Like water slowly freezing into ice.
She thought back to yesterday.
The reason she hadn't acted then wasn't because she didn't want to.
It was because she had sensed a hint of danger. Although she didn't know the source, she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't accidentally hurt the Young Master under those circumstances.
So, she had chosen to leave temporarily.
But that didn't mean she didn't care about other women appearing around him.
"It seems I need to get stronger too."
An looked at her hands.
The power of a Divine Blessing was strong, but it wasn't invincible.
For instance, she had been unable to control that white knife the Young Master used last night.
As the Young Master became more and more outstanding, there would inevitably be seductive vixens attracted to him, like insects drawn to a light.
That could not be allowed.
The second rule of a Campbell maid’s conduct: Always ensure the Master’s environment is clean and tidy!
Therefore—
"Just you wait, Young Master."
A pathological fervor and desire resurfaced on An’s face.
The metal throughout the room began to hum in unison, as if sensing her resolute will.
"I will definitely... thoroughly eliminate all those posturing pests around you!"